The Northern Duke’s Daughter Will Never Fall

Chapter 65: Not a Romantic Comic (3)

“Hey.”

“Hm?”

“If you’re a Heavy Cavalry Knight, you should act like one. Push through with firepower. What’s with the shield?”

Astrid shot a displeased look at Violet, who shrugged it off and raised her massive rectangular shield, large enough to cover her entire upper body. In her other hand, a sleek hand axe glinted menacingly.

“It’s called staying alive. A shield is a spare life.”

“If you have room to retreat, you’ll just get weaker. Don’t you know that?”

“Maybe, but I’m not looking to die. Do you even understand the difference a spare life makes? Oh, wait. Of course you wouldn’t.”

【Typical shield users, clinging to their spare lives. Just crush them all at once.】

For once, I completely agree.

Astrid sighed, readjusting her grip on her greatsword.

Heavy Cavalry Knights were not as numerous as they once were.

The most popular class was now Magic Knights, followed by magicians, then Heavy Cavalry Knights, archers, and finally clerics. 

There was a time when Heavy Cavalry Knights were the most numerous, embodying the romantic ideal of overwhelming firepower and charging headlong into the enemy ranks as the vanguard.

But that era faded with the advent of the Magic Bracelet, which ushered in the heyday of Magic Knights. 

These knights, able to use pre-stored spells without incantations, could toy with enemies and strike at critical moments. 

Their flair and effectiveness made them immensely popular. Who wouldn’t want to be a soldier with style?

“Anyway, I’ve always wanted to test myself against you, the White Snow Leopard of the Snowfield.”

“Do we really have to do this?”

Astrid wasn’t good at anything that required thinking. She excelled at physical tasks and activities like athletics or specialized training, but anything involving strategy or theory wasn’t her strength.

Today’s incident was no exception.

During a Heavy Cavalry Knight tactics lecture, a question sparked the situation.

“Professor, what’s most important for Heavy Cavalry Knights? Raw firepower? Or should defense be prioritized as well?”

The question, from an unknown cadet, ignited a fierce debate. Most of the aspiring Heavy Cavalry Knights present were highly competitive, with the overwhelming opinion favoring firepower over defense. Astrid’s voice was among the loudest in support of this view.

Violet, on the other hand, argued that proper defense was as vital as a spare life. The loss of a Heavy Cavalry Knight was a significant blow to their homeland, and survival was crucial.

“You’ve never fought on a ship, have you?” Violet said. “The swaying deck beneath your feet is terrifying. Lose your balance for even a second, and it’s all over.”

Astrid snorted. Just don’t let it happen in the first place.

And so, here they were, standing in the ring set up in the middle of the classroom, facing each other. 

They weren’t using wooden training weapons this time but rather blunt steel weapons, rough in quality but functional.

For someone of Astrid’s strength, even these dull weapons could inflict serious injury—or worse. 

Bariante, one of their instructors, watched with a stern gaze, alternating his focus between Violet and Astrid to ensure things didn’t spiral out of control.

“Alright, the winner of this match will be deemed correct. Any objections?”

Bariante scanned the room. None of the cadets raised a hand, clearly in agreement with this resolution.

“Alright then. Are you both ready?”

Violet took a deep breath, steadying herself as she met Astrid’s gaze. Astrid, gripping her greatsword with both hands, stood casually, her weapon lowered and her stance loose.

Despite Astrid’s strength, the sheer size and weight of her greatsword meant she couldn’t wield it as lightly as a one-handed weapon. 

While she had the advantage in reach, Violet’s shield and axe combo gave her speed and precision.

The plan was simple. Close the distance, deflect the first strike with her shield, and end it up close. 

Speed and precision had become crucial in modern combat, and Violet was confident that Astrid’s overconfidence would be her undoing.

“Are you both ready?” Bariante repeated.

Neither responded, but their readiness was evident. Bariante raised his voice.

“Begin!”

Contrary to Violet’s expectations, Astrid didn’t move first. She merely raised the tip of her greatsword slightly, pointing it toward Violet, but remained still otherwise.

Waiting for me to come in?

Violet’s reaction was swift. She lunged forward, her axe in her right hand and her shield raised with her left.

【Need me to step in?】

Not necessary.

Astrid moved at last, swinging her greatsword in a wide horizontal arc. Violet intercepted her shield, angling it to deflect the blade. The sword screeched along the shield’s smooth surface as it slid off.

Seizing the opening, Violet closed the gap and struck. Her shield slammed into Astrid’s temple with a resounding clang.

When she had used this move against pirates, it often left them with fractured skulls or completely disoriented.

“You’re weaker than I thought,” Violet remarked.

Astrid, however, was smiling. She didn’t even seem fazed by the hit.

Violet attempted to follow up with her axe, swinging it downward, but Astrid was faster. Switching her greatsword to one hand, she caught the descending axe with the flat of her blade.

“Too slow.”

Damn it…!

Before Violet could react, Astrid grabbed her by the collar and yanked her close.

Astrid’s pale face loomed in front of Violet, her unsettling smile growing wider as she locked eyes with her.

“Who said I needed a shield? My body’s armor.”

Wham!

Astrid’s forehead collided with Violet’s with a crack like an explosion. The impact left Violet reeling, her head spinning as she stumbled backward.

Astrid released her grip and kicked her away, widening the distance between them.

The fight wasn’t over. Astrid immediately followed up, sweeping her leg to knock the axe from Violet’s grasp and swatting the shield aside with the flat of her greatsword.

Instead of cutting or crushing, Astrid’s strikes were controlled, deliberate blows meant to incapacitate without causing real harm.

“Ow, ow, ow,” Violet muttered.

Despite her complaints, Violet wasn’t seriously injured. Astrid had held back—her headbutt landed on Violet’s forehead rather than her nose, and her greatsword strikes were restrained.

It was obvious even to Violet that Astrid harbored no ill intent, despite the rough treatment.

With her shield dented and her axe gone, Violet had no choice but to sit down and raise her hands in surrender.

“You win.”

As she admitted defeat, a stream of blood trickled from Violet’s nose.

【Pathetic. Taking a hit to the temple like that? If that shield hadn’t been there, we’d have been the ones out of commission.】

I only took the hit because I knew I could handle it.

【Sure, keep telling yourself that. But for someone nicknamed “White Shark,” she sure is unimpressive.】

“Good match.”

Ignoring the voice in her head, Astrid extended a hand toward Violet.

“Still, you let your guard down,” Violet said.

“Huh?”

In a flash, Violet grabbed Astrid’s hand and pulled her off balance. Before Astrid could react, Violet kicked upward, planting her foot in Astrid’s stomach and sending her flying across the ring.

“Hey, what the hell?!”

“Winning is what matters!” Violet shot back with a grin.

Bariante silently watched the chaos unfold.

Astrid, having sprung up like a coil from where she had been thrown, was now locked in a ridiculous brawl with Violet. 

The two rolled on the ground, pulling each other’s hair, pinching cheeks, and landing punches on each other’s faces. It was an unrefined, petty melee that left no room for dignity.

By the end of the day, the result was clear: both Violet and Astrid were sentenced to run 30 laps around the parade ground in full gear after class.

“Still,” Violet said with a grin, rubbing her still-throbbing forehead, “don’t you think we got a little closer after all that?”

“Absolutely not,” Astrid shot back, glaring at her. “Just you wait. White Shark or whatever, I’m going to rip your mouth wide open next time.”

“Ha! You started bleeding first, so I obviously won. Are you seriously refusing to admit defeat?”

Astrid vividly remembered the sight of Violet sitting on the ground in surrender, blood trickling from her nose.

“You were the one who had a nosebleed first!”

“What? That never happened!”

“I saw it with my own eyes!”

“Now you’re just making stuff up!”

“You must not have gotten enough of a beating earlier. Do you want to die?!”

“Oh yeah? Want me to strap some barrels to your feet and give you a tour of the bottom of the Murray Strait?!”

Watching their escalating argument, Bariante quietly added 20 more laps to their punishment.